These are the 16 rappers who have sold the most albums of all time

Albums sold: 12.5 million

LL Cool J was one of the first rappers ever to achieve mainstream success thanks to his 1985 debut album "Radio," which featured the hit song "I Need a Beat."

He's since released 12 more studio albums, the latest of which, "Authentic," dropped in 2013.

Albums sold: 12.5 million

Regarded by many as the greatest rapper to ever live, Nas boasts an impressive and eclectic discography that spans from 1994 to 2023.

His best-selling album remains his sophomore effort, "It Was Written," which shipped 3 million copies.

Albums sold: 12.5 million

Just like Snoop Dogg, according to the title of his sixth studio album, "Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss," plenty have also paid the cost to buy his albums.

Seven of Snoop's 19 studio albums have sold over 1 million copies.

Albums sold: 13.5 million

One of the so-called dirty south's first superstar rappers, Ludacris carved his name in rap history in the early 2000s thanks to his charismatic flow and witty lyrics.

He told Insider earlier this year that he's gearing up to make a return to the music scene after an eight-year hiatus.

Albums sold: 14 million

DMX was rap music's leading light in the late 1990s.

His first three albums — 1998's "It's Dark and Hell Is Hot" and "Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood," and 1999's "... And Then There Was X" — sold a combined 12 million copies.

Albums sold: 15.5 million

50 Cent's 2003 debut album "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" remains one of the most iconic albums in hip-hop history.

Recorded mostly at a safe house in New York in the wake of his attempted murder, the project sold over 9 million copies.

Albums sold: 21 million

Biggie, real name Christopher Wallace, released just one studio album — the aptly titled "Ready to Die" — before his untimely death in March 1997.

The project sold 6 million copies and is widely regarded as one of the greatest rap albums ever made.

Albums sold: 23 million

Very few rap albums have ever managed to sell over 10 million copies in the United States.

Nelly's debut project "Country Grammar" — featuring the smash hit "Ride wit Me" — is one of them.

Albums sold: 23 million

Not only did Outkast sell plenty of records, but their ingenious blend of hip-hop, funk, and soul transformed the landscape of rap, paving the way for modern artists such as Kendrick Lamar and Anderson .Paak to thrive.

Albums sold: 23 million

Beastie Boys' debut album "Licensed to Ill" is one of the highest-selling hip-hop albums ever, having shipped over 10 million copies.

Released in 1986, the album includes the hit songs "Fight for Your Right," "No Sleep Till Brooklyn," and "Paul Revere."

Albums sold: 25 million

Lil Wayne is the gift that keeps giving. He's released 13 studio albums, five extended plays, and no less than 29 mixtapes.

His most successful project was his sixth studio album, 2008's "Tha Carter III," which sold 8 million copies.

Albums sold: 27.5 million

Ye's album sales have fallen off in recent years, but the "Gold Digger" rapper was once a force to be reckoned with.

His first three albums alone — "The College Dropout," "Late Registration," and "Graduation" — sold a combined 14 million copies.

Albums sold: 33.5 million

As well as shipping millions of physical copies of his albums, Drake is also the most successful artist in music history in terms of digital sales.

To date, he's sold an incredible 188 million singles.

Albums sold: 33.5 million

Jay-Z has been an omnipresent figure in the rap game releasing his debut album "Reasonable Doubt" in 1996.

All 13 of his studio albums, the latest of which, "4:44," released in 2017, have been certified platinum.

Albums sold: 36.5 million

Eight out of 2Pac's 11 platinum-selling albums were released after his death in September 1996, including the critically-acclaimed "The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory," which topped the Billboard 200 and sold 4 million copies.

Albums sold: 61.5 million

In 1996, Eminem only managed to sell 1,000 copies of his first studio album, "Infinite," according to Capital Xtra.

He's now the highest-selling rap artist in history.

Never give up, kids.